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We have been providing treatment for back and neck pain in San Francisco for over 23 years in the Financial District.

Cervical Disc Treatment in SF

There is a lot of information out there on how to diagnose and treat a herniated disc in the neck or low back. Some of it is good and some not so good. Our recommendations come from almost a quarter century of front line experience.

What most people don’t realize is that a herniated disc is very common. In fact, many people have them and do not even realize it. And when you are diagnosed with a herniated disc it is not the end of the world. And, it does not mean you automatically need back or neck surgery.

Often, a herniated disc will heal on it’s own. It just depends on the nature and severity of the condition and the patients overall health profile. All cases are different.

One thing for sure. Chiropractic adjustments should be considered as the #1 treatment option. This has been proven over and over again. You can find some very good research on this at Chiro-Trust.org.

In the event that chiropractic adjustments fail to deliver favorable outcomes there is a logical “next step”. It’s called nonsurgical spinal decompression. The machine we use is the DRX9000. The DRX9000 is designed and built to treat herniated and bulging discs in the cervical or lumbar spine nonsurgically. It is considered the gold standard for drugless disc treatment. You can find out more at SanFranciscoSpinalDecompression.com.

So, if you have been diagnosed with a herniated or bulging disc in the neck or low back, what should you do?

Our recommendation is that you find a clinic that has both chiropractic and spinal decompression. We have two clinics in San Francisco that are walking distance apart. Our primary clinic has chiropractic, medical care, physical therapy, and diagnostics. Our satellite clinic at the Embarcadero Center has spinal decompression and chiropractic, as well as laser therapy.

I am a Chiropractor in the San Francisco Financial District specializing in chronic neck, arm and hand pain. I also treat herniated discs using spinal decompression, whiplash, sports injuries, headaches, and Fibromyalgia. My clinic is certified in the use of Deep Tissue Laser Therapy with the LiteCure LCT-1000 for conditions such as shoulder pain, TMJ and Plantar Fasciitis. I have been in practice for over 20 years.

We have been providing treatment for headaches in San Francisco for over 23 years.

If you are someone that spends the majority of their time sitting at a desk in front of a computer, like most of our patients, you are prone to neck pain and headaches.

The reason for this is that sitting long periods causes static muscle tension in the neck, back and shoulders. The neck muscles attach to the back of the head. Chronic tension on these muscles can cause pressure and pain in the head as well as neck, upper back, shoulder, arm or hand pain.

We are simply not designed to be sitting at a desk all day and we need to be proactive making sure we are doing things to counteract these negative stresses.

Here is a partial list of things you can do:

Take frequent breaks and stretch and walk around.

Make sure your workstation is ergonomically correct.

Drink lots of water throughout the day.

Eat lots of plant foods (anti-inflammatory).

Get plenty of exercise.

Get a desk that allows you to stand or sit.

Do deep breathing exercises.

There are more but those will do for now. If you already have headaches then you should visit a chiropractor for an assessment. Depending on the type of headache and the nature and severity of your condition you may only need a few visits or you may need more.

The good news is that most headaches respond favorably to chiropractic, especially those related to sitting long periods.

So, prevention is best. But if you do get a headache then see your chiropractor.

I am a Chiropractor in the San Francisco Financial District specializing in chronic neck, arm and hand pain. I also treat herniated discs using spinal decompression, whiplash, sports injuries, headaches, and Fibromyalgia. My clinic is certified in the use of Deep Tissue Laser Therapy with the LiteCure LCT-1000 for conditions such as shoulder pain, TMJ and Plantar Fasciitis. I have been in practice for over 20 years.

We have been providing treatment for the neck, shoulders and hands in downtown San Francisco for over 23 years now.

Most of the patients we treat in the SF Financial District spend the majority of their day sitting in front of a computer doing repetitive motions. This activity can put a lot of stress on the bones of the spine in the neck and well as the muscles, ligaments and tendons of the shoulders, arms and hands.

The nerves that control the arms and hands exit from in between the bones of the spine in the neck. These nerves can become compromised with abnormal wear and tear leading to numbness and tingling in the hands. The problem can be in the neck, shoulders, elbows, or wrists. All must be checked.

In most cases there is joint dysfunction and muscle imbalances, and even nerve pressure in multiple locations. The good news is that these sorts of problems tend to respond favorably to chiropractic and favorable outcomes are the norm.

The standard treatment for hand pain and numbness at our clinic is chiropractic adjustments to the neck, shoulder, elbow, wrists and fingers, massage or ART, low tech exercises in office and at home, deep tissue laser if needed, and ice or heat. Most cases respond in short order. Chronic long standing cases can take longer to treat.

We also have a team of medical doctors and physical therapists that specialize in sports medicine at our primary clinic, Chiro-Medical Group, Inc. which is a few blocks away from our Embarcadero Center walk-in clinic.

I am a Chiropractor in the San Francisco Financial District specializing in chronic neck, arm and hand pain. I also treat herniated discs using spinal decompression, whiplash, sports injuries, headaches, and Fibromyalgia. My clinic is certified in the use of Deep Tissue Laser Therapy with the LiteCure LCT-1000 for conditions such as shoulder pain, TMJ and Plantar Fasciitis. I have been in practice for over 20 years.

We have been providing treatment for sports injuries in downtown San Francisco for over 23 years now.

Whether it be a sprain strain from weekend warrior activities or a herniated disc in the neck or the back, chiropractic can help…especially a sports chiropractor that spends the majority of their day treating sports injuries.

We learned early on that the combination of chiropractic, medical care, physical therapy, and sports trainers, is a potent combination for correctly diagnosing and treating sports injuries.

Chiropractic is great for preventing and treating the majority of sports related musculoskeletal conditions that we see in our clinics. But to be able to handle the full spectrum of sports related traumas and injuries it takes more.

Our primary clinic Chiro-Medical Group Inc. is fully equipped with digital x-ray, diagnostic ultrasound and many other advanced technologies geared towards treating sports injuries. We also have a very large staff of sports chiropractors, physical medicine doctors (MD’s) nurses, trainers, and support staff. Our clinic director Scott Calzaretta has even been a team doctor for the US Olympic Team.

Our satellite clinic is Chiro-Medical Group Express (CMGE) and is a few blocks away at the Embarcadero Center. CMGE offers express, walk-in service for busy office workers on the go as well as sports injuries treatment and spinal decompression for herniated and bulging discs.

Many of our patients visit both clinics depending on their needs.

The most important thing when it comes to effectively treating sports injuries is a correct diagnosis and proper treatment protocols. Most athletes want to get back to their sports training and performing and require special expertise that not all chiropractors can provide.

When it comes to treating sports injuries in San Francisco we stand above the rest and most of our medical team are athletes themselves. This really does matter.

So, if you live or work near the SF Financial District and have suffered a sports injury that requires treatment, we would love to meet up with you.

I am a Chiropractor in the San Francisco Financial District specializing in chronic neck, arm and hand pain. I also treat herniated discs using spinal decompression, whiplash, sports injuries, headaches, and Fibromyalgia. My clinic is certified in the use of Deep Tissue Laser Therapy with the LiteCure LCT-1000 for conditions such as shoulder pain, TMJ and Plantar Fasciitis. I have been in practice for over 20 years.

We have been providing treatment for Carpal Tunnel Syndrome in Downtown San Francisco for over 23 years.

Most of the patients we treat spend the majority of their day sitting in front of a computer doing repetitive motions Many go on to do more computer work at home. Some are even on the computer or smart phone as they commute to and from work. OUCH!

We are simply not designed to be sitting for long periods doing the same thing over and over. In fact, we are designed to be doing just the opposite…running and hunting for food. Our bodies need constant motion in order to function properly.

When we sit all day the muscles in the neck and back are in a constant state of tension. Plus, our posture tends to take on hunched-over position we are in. This can cause pressure on the nerves in the neck that travel down the arms and control the hands. Pressure on the nerves can cause the same symptoms you experience when you have carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS).

The classic signs and symptoms of CTS are as follows:

Hand pain

Numbness and Tingling in the hand

Night pain

Neck pain

Pain that radiates from the hand to the elbow or neck

Weakness of grip

Again, pressure on the nerves in the neck cause the same symptoms This is why so many carpal tunnel surgeries fail. It was not the true problem. The nerve involved in true CTS is the Median Nerve. It is actually formed by branches of the cervical nerves (neck). This is why the symptoms are the same. True CTS is when there is compression of the median nerve in the wrist. This is a far less likely scenario than compression on the nerves in the neck. It is also easier to treat the neck. Results can typically be seen right away.

Some of the conditions in the neck area that can pinch the nerves that innervate the arm and hand are as follows:

Bulging and herniated discs

Vertebral Subluxation

Degenerative Disc Disease

Facet Syndrome

Spinal Degeneration

Thoracic Outlet Syndrome

Cervical Rib

So there you go. Changes are if you have CTS Symptoms you don’t have true CTS. And one more thing…

Not all doctors know how to treat CTS and related disorders. Chiropractors are experts and some (like us) even specialize in treating neck, arm, and hand pain. The treatment is 100% natural s usually covered by insurance (we belong to most plans).

To find out more about CTS check out the other blog posts on this blog.

I am a Chiropractor in the San Francisco Financial District specializing in chronic neck, arm and hand pain. I also treat herniated discs using spinal decompression, whiplash, sports injuries, headaches, and Fibromyalgia. My clinic is certified in the use of Deep Tissue Laser Therapy with the LiteCure LCT-1000 for conditions such as shoulder pain, TMJ and Plantar Fasciitis. I have been in practice for over 20 years.

We have been providing treatment for headaches in San Francisco since 1992.

One of the most common complaints n a chiropractic office are headaches. Especially, chronic headaches, which are headaches that persist for over 90 days wont go away.

There are many underlying causes of headaches, and fortunately, most respond favorably to chiropractic case management.

During the past 23 years or so we have helped thousands of patients with headaches return to more normal “headache free” active lifestyles. Some were diagnosed with tension headaches, some with migraines, temporal headaches, unilateral headaches, whatever. A diagnosis is just a name…a way to label the symptoms. It’s really just a particular doctors opinion.

In reality, most headache symptoms overlap with each other which makes it very difficult to correctly classify it as one type of headache or the other.

Chiropractors tend to focus more on how to help the headache than how to name it.

Experience tells us the most headaches originate from misalignment’s or pinched nerves in the neck. The causes are usually poor posture or ergonomics, a bad mattress or pillow, stress, auto accidents (many left untreated), sports injuries, a short leg, on and on. The cause is usually mechanical.

Sure, there can be serious causes of headaches, but these are usually associated with headaches that are new and acute with sudden onset. These are very rare and involve infections, tumors or fractures.

Sometimes x-ray or MRI is necessary to quantify the problem in the neck.

I am a Chiropractor in the San Francisco Financial District specializing in chronic neck, arm and hand pain. I also treat herniated discs using spinal decompression, whiplash, sports injuries, headaches, and Fibromyalgia. My clinic is certified in the use of Deep Tissue Laser Therapy with the LiteCure LCT-1000 for conditions such as shoulder pain, TMJ and Plantar Fasciitis. I have been in practice for over 20 years.

We have been providing treatment for whiplash in downtown San Francisco for over 23 years now.

Just about every day we treat a new patient with a whiplash injury…usually due to an auto accident. Many of our other new patients with chronic neck pain and headaches report previously untreated whiplash injuries.

That’s right, whiplash if not treated properly can lead to problems down the road such as neck and back pain, headaches, low back pain, insomnia, TMJ, and shoulder pain.

This is why it is so important to be seen right away after a car accident even if you have no symptoms. The spine and soft tissues are remarkably strong but are just not designed to handle the amount of forces even a 5 miles per hour impact can expose them to.

Chiropractors are the proven experts when it comes to the treatment of whiplash injuries. if you are in a serious auto accident it is probably a good idea to be checked out in the emergency room for fracture or dislocation, but that’s pretty much where it should end. Your next stop should be a chiropractor.

The most important thing when it comes to healing injured soft tissues sustained from whiplash trauma is “motion”. That’s right, without motion the joints will develop scar tissue which could lead to permanent damage and chronic pain. Chiropractors are motion experts even with badly injured patients. We also have technologies such as deep tissue laser therapy, ultrasound, and electro-stimulation to help reduce pain and inflammation.

Your chiropractor can also provide you with low-tech “do at home” exercises that are very important when it comes to restoring motion and recovering from a whiplash injury.

Our San Francisco Chiropractors are whiplash experts. We treat whiplash injuries day in and day out and have been doing so for over 20 years.

We also have 2 clinics to serve you and they are a short walking distance from one another. Our primary clinic is Chiro-Medical Group, Inc. which has an expert team of medical doctors, physical therapists, nurses, athletic trainers, and chiropractors. We also have state of the art diagnostic equipment such as digital x-ray and diagnostic ultrasound.

Our satellite clinic is located at the Embarcadero Center and offers express, no wait chiropractic, whiplash treatment and spinal decompression.

I am a Chiropractor in the San Francisco Financial District specializing in chronic neck, arm and hand pain. I also treat herniated discs using spinal decompression, whiplash, sports injuries, headaches, and Fibromyalgia. My clinic is certified in the use of Deep Tissue Laser Therapy with the LiteCure LCT-1000 for conditions such as shoulder pain, TMJ and Plantar Fasciitis. I have been in practice for over 20 years.

We have been providing neck pain treatment in downtown San Francisco for over 23 years now.

Neck pain is very common in people who spend the majority of their day sitting in front of a computer doing repetitive motions, which is what most of the work force does in the Financial District.

There are 3 basic types of neck pain:

New and acute neck pain.

Chronic neck pain (over 90 days duration).

Repetitive Stress Injury (builds-up silently over time).

While most of the new patients we see for neck pain report that their neck pain is new, it turns out that the problem has been building up silently under the surface due to things like poor ergonomics, stress (tenses neck muscles), poor sleeping habits (lack of cervical pillow), inadequate breaks at work (it’s best to take frequent stretch breaks), poor posture.

Sure, you can be using a cervical pillow, taking micro-breaks at work, meditating, and have a perfect workstation set-up and still get neck pain, but the odds are greatly reduced when these things are in place.

So what’s the best treatment for neck pain?

Well, according to research, chiropractic and low tech exercises (the kind chiropractors show you) is much more effective than OTC medications or physical therapy. It’s much more cost effective and takes less time as well. Here is an excerpt from Chiro-Trust.org entitled Chiropractic & Exercise vs. OTC Medication for Neck Pain:

However, this new research clearly supports that seeing a chiropractor and/or engaging in light exercise can bring neck pain relief more effectively than relying on pain medications! Researchers even found that the benefits of chiropractic adjustments were still favored A YEAR LATER when comparing the differences between the spinal manipulation and medication treated groups! Moderate acute neck pain is one of the most frequent complaints prompting appointments at primary care/medical clinics and is estimated to account for millions of doctor visits per year. In some cases, pain and stiffness occurs without a known cause and there is no “standard” medical treatment. Though physical therapy, pain medication, and chiropractic have all been utilized for neck pain, until now no one had compared the benefits of each in a single study.

The study consisted of 272 neck pain subjects split up into three groups: 1) Chiropractic group (approximately 20-minute treatments an average of 15 times); 2) Pain medication group (meds included acetaminophen, and in some cases stronger prescription meds including narcotics and muscle relaxants); 3) Physical Therapy group (consisting of meeting twice and receiving advice and exercise instruction at 5-10 repetitions up to eight times a day).

At the end of three months, the chiropractic and exercise group did significantly better than those who took drugs. Approximately 57% of those receiving chiropractic management and 48% of those who did the exercises reported at least 75% reduction in pain vs. 33% of people in the medication group. A year after the treatment period ended, the numbers decreased to 53% in the chiropractic and exercise groups, compared to 38% in pain medication group. The chiropractic group received the highest scores in patient satisfaction at all time points. An interesting downside noted in the medication study group was that the subjects had to use a progressively greater amount of medication at a progressively increased frequency to manage their pain. Stomach trouble is the most common side effect of NSAIDs (leading to ulcers) as well as liver and kidney problems. Another interesting finding was that the subjects in the medication treated group felt less empowered, less active, and less in control over their own condition compared with those in the other two groups.

Bottom Line: Your best bet for neck pain relief in San Francisco or anywhere for that matter is chiropractic. Not only can your chiropractor provide your with the low tech exercises that are research proven to reduce neck pain, they can also help you get a cervical pillow, proper ergonomic set-up, and any thing else you may need to help your body adapt to modern day living and working.

We have two chiropractic clinics in San Francisco to serve you. For neck pain relief in San Francisco please call 415-392-2225. We validate parking at the Embarcadero Center.

I am a Chiropractor in the San Francisco Financial District specializing in chronic neck, arm and hand pain. I also treat herniated discs using spinal decompression, whiplash, sports injuries, headaches, and Fibromyalgia. My clinic is certified in the use of Deep Tissue Laser Therapy with the LiteCure LCT-1000 for conditions such as shoulder pain, TMJ and Plantar Fasciitis. I have been in practice for over 20 years.

We have been providing treatment for back pain in downtown San Francisco for over 23 years.

One of the more common problems patients present with at our chiropractic clinics is back pain from sitting long periods in front of a computer. Some of our patients spend 10-12 hours per day there doing repetitive movements. This is very hard on the back, neck and upper extremities and can often lead to chronic pain and disability.

So what is the best way to prevent back pain from sitting at the computer?

Well, first and foremost you want to think “healthy lifestyle”. That’s right…the same lifestyle choices that keep you strong and healthy will also increase your resistance to injury at your workstation. Here is a partial list of lifestyle choices that matter:

Get plenty of sleep. When you are tired and run down you are unable to perform at your best and your immune system is also compromised which predisposes you to sickness and injury.

Drink plenty of water. The body is 70% water and constantly needs to be replenished. Water also helps keeps the spinal discs hydrated and healthy.

Consume plant foods. That’s right, plant foods are “anti-inflammatory”. The typical American diet is pro-inflammatory and is a primary contributor to back pain.

Use a cervical pillow when you sleep as this will help to maintain proper spinal alignment.

In addition, there are some very specific things you can do at work to prevent back pain:

Take frequent Micro-breaks. Every 15-30 minutes or so get up and walk around for 1-2 minutes. This is a good time to stretch and drink some water.

Stretch throughout the day. Simply go to YouTube and search for stretches you can do at your desk. Then do them. Your chiropractor can also provide you with some handouts. This will go a long way helping to prevent and reduce back and neck pain.

Proper ergonomic set-up. Make sure your workstation is set-up properly. A few tweaks here and there can reduce stress on your body that can build-up and lead to injury and back pain.

Deep breathing exercises and help relax muscles, clear the mind, and reduce stress.

There you go. You really can work long hours at the computer and live a healthy “back pain free” lifestyle. It just takes a little attention and focus. It’s well worth the effort.

In the event you do develop back pain you should visit your chiropractor. Some people choose to do this on a regular basis for prevention and maintenance. Others just come in whenever they feel they need a tune-up. Chiropractic is quick, painless, affordable, and effective.

I am a Chiropractor in the San Francisco Financial District specializing in chronic neck, arm and hand pain. I also treat herniated discs using spinal decompression, whiplash, sports injuries, headaches, and Fibromyalgia. My clinic is certified in the use of Deep Tissue Laser Therapy with the LiteCure LCT-1000 for conditions such as shoulder pain, TMJ and Plantar Fasciitis. I have been in practice for over 20 years.

Low back pain is very common. In fact, over 80% of us will experience low back pain at some point in our life. Many of us will go on to suffer with chronic back pain, which is back pain that persists for for 90 days. The #1 predisposing factor for chronic back pain is previous back pain.

So what causes low back pain?

Low back pain can often appear to arise out of the blue for no apparent reason. However, as back pain specialists we know that there is a cause for every effect, and an effect for every cause. We also know that low back pain can work in very mysterious ways and a correct diagnosis can often be challenging.

Here are some common low back pain causes:

Obesity or carrying too much weight can put stress on the spine, spinal discs, muscles, ligaments and tendons leading to spine and disc degeneration and herniated and bulging discs.

Poor Ergonomics at work or at home can create abnormal stress on the spine.

Sleeping on your stomach can cause spinal distortion which leads to chronic neck and back pain as well as poor posture and headaches.

Sports injuries.

Auto Accidents.

Poor Posture.

Stress and lack of sleep can predispose the spine to injury from normal home and work activities.

Congenital spinal disorders which may be undetected.

Sprains and Sprains from slips and falls.

Psychological problems often manifest as back pain and must be considered.

And more.

Since back pain is so common and there are many varieties of it, it is important to know the best course of action if you happen to get it.

We recommend that use a cervical pillow when they sleep with another pillow under their knees (when on their back). When you are on your side you would put the pillow between your knees. We like the Tempur-Pedic Pillows.

Here is a To-Do List of things to prevent low back pain:

Drink lots of water as it hydrates the spinal discs.

Stretch frequently.

Take lots of breaks at work and walk around (and stretch).

Use a cervical pillow.

Maintain proper body-weight.

Exercise frequently.

Get plenty of sleep.

Relax and meditate.

Eat a plant based diet or lots of fruits and vegetables (anti-inflammatory).

If you do happen to suffer with back pain then you should consider seeing a chiropractor. Chiropractors are lifestyle experts that can not only help you with all of the above, but can also help adjust spinal misalignment’s that may have resulted from things being out of balance or injury.

Here are some of the ways a chiropractor can help your low back pain:

Spinal adjustments.

Extremity adjustments.

Massage.

Laser.

Exercises.

Ergonomic instruction.

Cervical Pillow fitting.

Lifestyle Coaching.

Some chiropractors such as us also have medical doctors, physical therapists, athletic trainers, and advanced diagnostic equipment to assist you even further.

It may be a good idea to incorporate regular chiropractic adjustments into your health regimen to prevent low back pain…especially if you have a history of it. This is what many famous athletes and performers do. And the thing is…it’s not expensive and you have access to the same chiropractors.

I am a Chiropractor in the San Francisco Financial District specializing in chronic neck, arm and hand pain. I also treat herniated discs using spinal decompression, whiplash, sports injuries, headaches, and Fibromyalgia. My clinic is certified in the use of Deep Tissue Laser Therapy with the LiteCure LCT-1000 for conditions such as shoulder pain, TMJ and Plantar Fasciitis. I have been in practice for over 20 years.